JPL Intranet

The State Library has just added several new magazine titles to Bridges. Our patrons now have more magazine titles available via Bridges than what we offer via RBDigital (see list below). Given this and the upcoming dissolution of RBDigital from their takeover by Overdrive, we won’t be renewing our RBDigital magazine service this fall. I will notify our RBDigital users of this soon. Let me know if you have any questions.

Hello All,

This is your friendly reminder public service announcement about submitting ILL requests. Tech Services would like to remind people that ILL requests should only be submitted for specific items rather than something more general like any books by Author Authorpants (substitute an author of your choice). Dreama told us that ILLs are resource-heavy for libraries and often patrons don’t even pick them up. And–when general requests are submitted sometimes patrons then decide that it wasn’t really what they we’re looking for. Some of the reference interview work to drill down to what patrons are actually looking for needs to be done before the request is submitted to Tech Services. Please feel encouraged to send patrons (by phone or in person) to the Reference Desk and staff can help patrons identify specific items and then look at worldcat to see if items are likely to be available. Thank you! Please ask Beth if you have questions.

The current issue of magazines and all newspapers can now be checked out. Magazines will continue to circulate for 3 weeks, and newspapers will check out for 1 week. Magazines can be renewed twice, but newspapers cannot be renewed. All issues are holdable.

Newspaper barcodes are on the last page of the first section of the newspaper – in the upper-right corner.

Ann will remove the plastic covers that distinguish the current issue of magazines. She’ll check the shelves periodically (no pun intended!) to make sure that an issue of each magazine is on display if the current issue is checked out.

Reliable Maintenance will take over cleaning of the library on October 5th. Molly and I met with the supervisor today and mentioned the lack of attention to detail that we hope will not be an issue with his crew. They run overnight shifts for cleaning so you’re unlikely to see them at closing time.

https://www.reliablemaintenancecompany.com/

We now have an iPhone for curbside so patrons can text and call us directly rather than going through Google Voice. Messages and calls from patrons to the old Google Voice number will be forwarded to this new phone. Until all patrons are sending calls and messages to the new phone’s number,  which may take a week or so, we may still experience the delay we’ve seen with Google Voice.  Let me know if you have any questions.

So Slack seems to be the answer to everything, but let’s try to relay messages regarding Home Delivery through the #homedelivery channel.

Lydia will post the patrons that she has planned for delivery a week (or so) before delivery. In general, delivery is offered on Tuesdays between 2 and 3 pm. If you have questions that Slack doesn’t address, please just leave Lydia a note on the #homedelivery channel. She will follow up with the patron.

For pressing questions from Home Delivery patrons, your best bet is to message on the #homedelivery Slack channel and/or offer a call back from Molly or Lydia if we aren’t available.

I hope this information helps. Feel free to let us know if there is more information we can put out there!

FYI both Crown Point and Simpson Barn are taking reservations for meetings. Interested parties should contact  the Parks Department.

The Des Moines Public Library has compiled information on metro-area library’s services and hours. Our info. is slightly out of date so other’s may be as well but it provides a nice overview of who is doing what.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ai3X-8cHmlwFecJowf-qjKRL6kYkx2CeK3cJfP-U5mQ/edit?usp=sharing

As you have heard there is an all-staff meeting on Thursday at 9 am via Zoom. I hope most of you will able to attend, but I understand if you have other obligations. Just know that we would love for you to attend even if you can just listen in with your camera turned. Also, let me know if you need to come to the library for internet access (bandwidth is tight at my house these days). We should be able to accommodate you watching the meeting here in a socially distanced manner.

I will mark those in attendance on Thursday AM and update When to Work. There will be a recording available if that time just won’t work for you. If you watch the recording outside of work, please email me and I’ll add you to When to Work for that hour.

Thanks!

We are seeking an Assistant Librarian for Circulation to provide additional support and training for staff doing circulation work. Internal applicants are welcome to apply. If you know someone outside of JPL that may be interested, please spread the word. Let Molly or I know if you have any questions.

Assistant Librarian – 25.75 hours/week – Some Evenings and Weekends

Under the direction of the Assistant Director, the Circulation Assistant Librarian performs a variety of tasks in providing library service to customers. Responsibilities include working in the Circulation, Reference, and other areas of the library as assigned. This position requires skill in customer service and behavior management.

Starting pay: $20/hour

Details and an application are available at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/cityofjohnston/jobs/2866585/

Recording

[UPDATE]
The parking lot lights are fixed

We have short amongst the parking lot lights that’s tripping the breaker for the lights near the staff parking area. An electrician will be out next week. Until then, the staff lot will be a little darker after sunset.

The spacing between PC appointments has been increased from 20 to 30 minutes to accommodate more walk-ins.

An inclement weather version of the holds pickup sign has been added to the other side of the sign holder. Be sure to face the correct sign out each day at the start of curbside.

FYI If you’re remoting into another PC from the bouncer desk and want to use both monitors, you’ll need to click “options” on the remote dekstop app and check the box to use all monitors.

A phone number is now required for browsing and PC appointments. Should we lose power and need to close again, this will allow us to call the rest of the day’s appointments.

Molly has let us borrow an old cellphone of hers that we’ll get activated and use for curbside instead of the iPod with Google Voice. This should alleviate the delays in receiving messages that everyone has been experiencing. It should be ready to go by early next week.

Patrons can apply for a digital library card from our website. The digital card application will typically be processed within 48 hours.

Applicants 14 and older

Residents of Johnston and rural Polk County will be emailed their credentials to log into digital content. They will also be mailed a physical card to use for curbside, browsing, and PC appointments. They will have 90 days after the library fully reopens to provide a photo ID and proof of address if they wish to keep the card active.

Applicants that reside outside Johnston and rural Polk County will be emailed their credentials to log into the website for placing holds for curbside. They will not have access to most digital content. They will be mailed a physical card to use for browsing and PC appointments. They will have 90 days after the library fully reopens to provide a photo ID and proof of address if they wish to keep the card active.

Applicants under 14

Residents of Johnston and rural Polk County will be emailed their credentials to log into digital content. They will also be mailed a physical card with a letter asking a parent or guardian to bring a photo ID and proof of address back to the library before the juvenile will be allowed to use the card to borrow physical materials at a browsing appointment. There will be a blocking note on the account that can be deleted when the parent/guardian provides their photo ID and proof of address. Please add the parent or guardians DL number to the DL number field.

Applicants that reside outside Johnston and rural Polk County will be emailed acknowledging their application was processed. They will not have access to most digital content. They will be mailed a physical card with a letter asking a parent or guardian to bring a photo ID and proof of address back to the library before the juvenile will be allowed to use the card to borrow physical materials at a browsing appointment. There will be a blocking note on the account that can be deleted when the parent/guardian provides their photo ID and proof of address. Please add the parent or guardians DL number to the DL number field.

Individual books in the Book Club collection will now check out to JPL patrons for 6 weeks. This change eliminates the need to set a special due date when you’re preparing for curbside service.

TS staff will continue to set special due dates for sets checked out both to JPL patrons and to other libraries.